Automatic coffee percolator



Aug. 4, 1931. l c. c. ARMSTRONG 1,316,994 I AUTOMATIC COFFEE PERCOLATOH Filed June 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HlIlllIIIIIIIHHIIHIIIIHIIIImmm ATTORNEYS Aug. 4, 1931. c. c. ARMSTRONG AUTOMATIC COFFEE PERCOLATOR Filed June' 6. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1931 lmrrao STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mums c. ARMSTRONG, or HUNTINGTON, {was-r VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To, ms'rnoNe APPLIANCE OOBPORA'I'ION, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE Application filed June 6,

My said invention relates to improvements in coffee percolators of the drip type; i. e., those in which the hot water passes through the cofiee but once.

One object of the invention is to roduce an electric percolator of this type which will be of an automatic nature, the su ply of heat being automatically cut ofi a r the required amount of water has passed through the coffee.

Another object is to accomplish this automatic action by providing a two com artment container with interposed perco ator means arranged so that the water will be 1; transferred from one to the other and that the heat will be cut ofl by the tilting of the container resulting from said transfer of the water.

Still another object is to provide a device of this type in which the percolating action will be started in a minmium amount of time.

A further object is to provide a construction in which all coffee and water containing parts are removable for washin and cleansing without endangerin the e ectrical equipment which is con ned entirely to the base. I

With these and other objects in view,

includes the novel construction and arrange ment and combination of parts hereinafter described, what I consider as my invention being defined by the claims appended Fig.' 2is a plan view of the coffee pot'or pel'colator partly broken away.

which will hereinafter appear, the invention- AUTOHATIG COFFIH) PEBCOLATOR 1929. Serial No. 888,860.

tube.

Fi 5 is a detail of the water heating cham er.

Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive are views of further details.

Referrin b drawing, designates the main body or container of the pot which may be of any desired size and shape but is preferably of oval shape in cross section as shown, for reasons which will hereinafter ap e'ar, being provided with the customary andle a and spout a and with a top portion B which may be made of glass or metal. The bottom of the body or container is dished upwardly or made of approximately truncated cone shape as indicated at A.

The interior chamber of the container is divided into two compartments A2 and A3 respectively by a transverse partition Cv which has a central offset portion of approximately semi-cylindrical shape-as indicated at C, the spout 'a, as will be ob-- served, leading from the compartment A. g The bottom A carries a water heating chamber 0 which comprises a bottom plate 0 made of metal ,having a high thermal conductivity, such as copper for example;-

and an upper portion 0 made of metal having a comparatively low thermal conductivity such as anickel-silver alloy, the parts being secured together to effect a water tight joint in any desired manner, as by providmg them with overlapping marglnal flanges as shown.

The upper portion 0 is made of stepped formation to provide an annular shoulder o and externally threaded nippel 0 which latter passes through a central opening in the bottom A, the edge of the bottom wall around said opening resting upon the shoulder 0 and being clamped thereon by a nut reference characters to this M. 4 Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1. The flange 0 carries a disk member K .0

provided with openings E10 which place the water compartment A? in communication with the heating chamber 0, and said disk K carries a percolator tube J leading upward from the heating chamber through the water chamber and into the basket E hereinafter described.

A percolator disk valve L is loosely mounted on the tube in underlying relation to the openings 7:, the arrangement being such that water from chamber A will pass downward into the heating chamber 0 and the heated water will be driven upward through the pipe J into the coffee containing basket E in the manner well understood by those skilled in the art.

The basket E, which is of reticulated form, is contained within an outer or supporting basket H of imperforate material (sheet metal) having an outwardly curved upper edge E designed to be supported by the upper edge of the top portion B, and having a central opening to receive the pipe J, the edge of which opening may be flared upwardly as at h so as to form a rounded edge to seat on a bead j formed on tube J. Said edge also serves as a support for the central-portion of the bottom of basket E which is likewise apertured for the passage of tube J and has projections or feet e on its under surface which, together with flange h, serve to keep the bottom of basket E spaced from the bottom of basket H.

Said basket H has in its side wall adjacent the spout and overlying the compartment A an opening H provided with a screen h and it will be seen that when basket E is supplied with coffee the water drawn from chamber A and ejected through pipe J will, after percolating through the coffee and into basket H, be delivered through openin H into compartment A The bottom of asket H is preferably provided with an inclined drainage channel H to facilitate the flow of the liquid towards the outlet opening.

Said basket H is also provided with a rib H designed to coact with a groove 13 in section B to prevent basket H from being inserted in other than the correct position.

It is desirable to rovide means which will ensure the pot being placed on the base in such position that neither the front nor back edges of the ot will have a frictional contact with the anges of the base which would interfere with the free tilting of the pot. To this end I provide the flange X on o posite sides and in line with its shortest 'ameter' with recesses 41: in its inner face which are designed to receive corresponding ribs or pro ections a. on the sides of the pot, thereby holding the pot centralized lengthwise of the base and preventing the feasibility of such frictional contact at a corresponding the ends as would preclude the free tipping action.

In order to apply the heat for heating the water and alsc to provide for the automatic action of the percolator, I arrange the following instrumentalities.

X designates a base of pressed sheet metal having its upper surface provided with a peripheral flange or rib X and having a central depressed portion X to receive the heating element P which may be of any desired construction and on the up er surface of which the heating plate 3 rests when the pot is in place and by which it is supported.

Said heatin element has a transverse boss. P on its un er side Fig 7 which rests in groove or channel a: Fig. 6 in the base in such a manner that the heating element is free to rock on said boss as a fulcrum and with it the pot supported thereby, said pot being retained against displacement by the annular flange X engaging the base of the pot.

Thus when the coffee pot is placed on the base with the compartment A filled with water, the right hand side (Fig. 1) will be depressed and after the water or the bulk thereof has been transferred to the compartment A as above described, the pot will rock towards the left and its left hand side be depressed.

I utilize the removability of the pot from its base and its tilting action while resting thereon to control the heating current by automatic switch means, the preferred form of which will now be described. 7

R designates a mercury switch which is pivotally connected to the base to oscillate about an axis '1' and is provided with a projection R projecting through an open ing in the top of the base in positionto contact with the bottom of the coffee pot near its right hand edge (Fig. 1). A spring R tends to rock said mercury switch in suchdirection as to elevate the pin R at which time the globule of mercury will be in such position as to break the circuit.-

' The placing of the coffee pot in position on the base with the compartment A supplied with the desired amount of water will depress the pin R and rock the mercury switch into position to cause the globule of mercury to close the circuit. After the water has been transferred to the compartment A, the pot will be tilted as above described which will permit spring R to return the switch to circuit breaking position.

To guard against the cofiee pot being placed on the base in reversed position, I provide the bottom on one side, as for instance adjacent the spout, with a projection a to cooperate with the recess (a in the base, this projection preventing seating of the pot. should be re- It will be understood that the sprin R will be made strong enough so that i the empty coffee pot is placed on the base, its weight will be insuflicient to operate the switch.

The pot will, of course, be provided with the usual cover as shown. By having the pot and base of oval shape in cross section, proper alinement of the parts is ensured without detracting from the ornamental ap pearance.

While it is possible to place the ot on the base in reversed position, this, ue to the projection a, will result in noharm and the operator would readily discover the 'mistake.

The provision of the water chamber beneath the bottom of the pot segregates a small quantity of. the water and brings it in intimate contact with the surface exposed to the heating means while at the same time,

the pot on the base if versed in position. v

' the forming of the upper wall of the chamher of material of low heat conductivity avoids conduction of heat to the water outside the chamber which avoidance is increased by the provision of the air s ace formed by spacing the major portion 0 the top of the water chamber from the bottom of the pot.

This enables the rapid starting of the percolator or drip coffee action due to the extremely rapid heating of the small amount of segregate water in the heating chamber and the reduction in heat conducted to when heating is not desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A cofi'eepercolator comprising a base, an electric heating element pivotall supparts ported thereby substantially central t ereof,

zontal axis substantially a coffee pot supported on said heating element and comprising compartments on opposite sides of an approximately vertical plane passing through said pivotal axis, and percolator means operating under the .action of the heating element to transfer water from one compartment to the other and thereby rock said base, and means whereby the rocking of said base cuts off current from said heating element.

2. A cofiee percolator comprising abase, an electric heating element carried thereby means to support said element on said base and to enable it to oscillate about a horicentrally thereof, a cofl'ee pot carried thereby comprising two liquid compartments and a separating par- 'tition located in a plane passing through said ing a movable part projecting through an erring 3 in which the means for deliverin and openi in the base for contact with the bottom 0 the pot on one side of said pivotal axis.

3. A cofl'ee percolator comprising a base, an electric heating element having a pivotal connection therewith, said nection having its axis dispose in a horizontal plane substantially centrally, of the base, a coffee pot having a substantially centrally disposed transverse vertical partition forming water and coffee compartments, a heating chamber on the bottom of the pot adapted to be supported on said heating element,.said heating chamber being in communication with said water compartment, a coffee basket in the upper part of said pot, a pipe for conveying water from the heating chamber to said basket, means for causin the li uid passing from the basket to be de ivered into the coffee compartment, and means whereby the rocking of the base under the weight of the accumulated liquid in the co off the ment.

4. A coffee supply of current to the heating elepercolator according to claim the coffee impregnated water to the co ee compartment comprises an outer 'imperforate basket having a delivery opening leading to the coffee compartment, and a horizontal bottom with inclined drainage channels therein leading to said opening.

5. A coffee percolator comprising a base, an electric heating element carried thereby, a pot supported on said base and comprising water and coffee receiving compartments a coffee basket, percolator means operating under the action of said heating element to transfer water from said water compartment through the basket to the coffee compartment, and means for automatically cutting ofi the current to the heating element controlled by the water thus transferredl 6. A coffee percolator comprising a base, an electric heating element carried thereby, a pot removably supported on the base and comprising water and coffee compartments and percolator means operating under the action of said heating element to transfer water from the water compartment to the coffee compartment, and means whereby the ments and percolator means adapted to ivotal con-- ffee compartment automatically cuts transfer water from the water compartment to the coffee compartment under the action of said heating element, and switch means for controlling the passage of current to said heating element, said switch means including a depressible element beneath the bottom of the water compartment, the coffee pot having a projection on its lower edge and said marginal flange a recess to receive said projection.

8. A coffee percolator comprising a base, a heating plate carried thereby, a removable pot having a basket in its upper part and a central opening in its bottom, a water chamber beneath the pot bottom having a bottom to overlie said heating element and having on its top a shoulder to engage the pot bottom and an upstanding flange to engage the opening therein, means engaging said flange to clamp the bottom against said shoulder, a disk member held within said flange and having a central and side openings, a water elevating tube carried by the central opening, and check valve means cooperating wi'h said side openings.

9. A coffee percolator comprising a pot having a basket, said pot having a central opening in its bottom, a heating chamber having its top wall provided with an upstanding flange secured within said opening, a ported disk member carried within said flange, and having an axial opening therethrough, a water elevating pipeheld in said opening and extending into said basket, said pipe depending below the disk member, and a check valve located on said depending portion and cooperating with the ports in the disk member.

10. A coflee percolator comprising a sub- 4 stantially oval base having an upstanding marginal flange, an electric heating element carried thereby and mounted to oscillate about a transverse axis, a coffee pot of substantially oval shape in cross section adapted to be supported on said heating element and to fit flange, said coffee pot comprising water and cofiee compartments and percolator means arranged to transfer water from the water compartment to the coffee compartment, under the action of said heating element and thereby tip the pot, switch means for controlling the passage of current to said heating element actuated by the tipping of the pot, and means for centering the pot lengthwise of the base to prevent frictional contact between the pot and flange at the ends.

11. A coffee percolator comprising a substantially oval base having an upstanding marginal flange, an electric heating element carriedthereby and mounted to oscillate about a transverse axis, a cofiee pot of substantially oval shape in cross section adapted to be supported on said heating element and to fit within said marginal within said marginal flange, said coffee pot comprising water and coffee compartments and percolator means arranged to transfer water from the water compartment to the coffee compartment under the action of said heating element and thereby tip the pot, switch means for cohtrolling the passage of current to said heating element actuated by the tipping of the pot, said flange having inwardly facing opposed recesses on opposite sides of the base and said pot having projections engaging said recesses.

12. A coflee percolator comprising a pot having a substantially vertical partition forming water and coffee compartments open at their upper ends, said partition terminating below'the top of the pot, a water elevating pipe extending above said partition and having an annular bead, an imperforate basket overlying said compartments and having an opening to receive said pipe and a seat encircling said opening to coact with said bead, said imperforate basket having a discharge overlying the coffee compartment, said seathaving an upwardly extending thimble, and a reticulated basket having an opening to receive the pipe, the edge of the opening resting on said thimbleQ 13. A coffee percolator comprising a pot having a substantially vertical partition forming water and cofiee compartments open at their upper ends, said partition terminating below the top of the pot, a water elevatin pipe extending above said partition an having an annu ar bead, an imperforate basket having a substantially flat bottom overlying said compartments and through which said tube projects, said perforate basket having a delivery opening leading to the coffee compartment and having inclined channels in its bottom leading to said delivery 0 ening, and a reticulated basket within sai imperforate basket and throu h the bottom of which said pipe also exten s.

14. A coflee' percolator com rising a base including an electric heating e ement mounted to have limited pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a cofiee ercolating pot removably supported on the eating element and comprising water and coffee compartments and means whereby heat a plied to said pot transfers water from t e water compartment to the cofiee com artment, and means whereby the placing oi the coffee pot on the heating element automatically closes the circuit to said heating element and the transfer of water to the coffee compartment automatically opens said circuit.

15. A cofiee percolator comprising a base having a transverse groove in its upper face, a heating element having a transverse rib on its under side to pivotally engage said gpoove, a cofiee pot having a water chamr beneath its bottom to rest on said heatcompartment communicatin ing element, said coffee pot comprising water and coffee compartments arranged on 0pposite sides of a vertical plane passing through said rib and groove, said water with said water chamber, a pipe for e evating water from said water chamber, a coflee basket and deflector means for receiving water from said pipe and transferring it to the coffee compartment, and switch means actuated by the rocking of the heating element to control the current to said heating element.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature.

CHARLES e. ARMSTR NG. 

